In the last couple of weeks work has started on putting the new sections of 2807 boiler together
In the following pictures you will see the Riley team preparing the front boiler section. This will have the new smoke box tube plate fitted the smoke box flange and then be test fitted to the old sections of the boiler
I will post updates in the next few days on progress of the work at Toddington (GSWR) on the Frames and Tender
Well what a crazy year! This will be the final update for 2021 but rest assured work will continue during the Christmas period....
I mid November I made my second visit to Ian Rileys in Bury to look at progress since the last visit in August. Well things have moved along at pace and CSPL are please at the progress to date.
Following are some pictures of progress.
New front boiler barrel section, lots to do to prepare for fitting. This will happen in the New Year
New lower backhead section welded in place, weld tested and past
New Sections of firebox side sheets weld in place, weld tested and past.
New Smoke Box tube plate fully marked out and ready for drilling. Once completed work will commence in the new year to fit this to the new front barrel section and that new section to the existing boiler.
The loco frames back on they're driving wheels. The loco was moved very slowly in late Nov to check all was ok after the re wheeling. Behind the frames 2807 tender.
We have turned a significant corner over the last couple of
months! Things are going back on the frames and the wheel sets are almost ready
to go back under the frames too.
The following update and pictures will highlight events over the last few months. Our teams on Wednesday and Saturdays have been work very very hard to move things forward after the last period of COVID delays.
We still have a long way to go but its great to see bright new,
or refurbished, items going back together
Team Tyler cleaning and painting various items
The eccentric sheaves, part of the inside motion, being lifted inside the wheelset in
readiness for them being putting back on.
Re profiled driving wheelsets with their refurbished axle boxes being made ready
for going back under the frames. Note the old brake blocks being used to keep the
axle boxes the correct way up
The next update should have pictures of the mainframes back
on her wheelsets! A massive step forward by the whole team!
Well, we finally got to meet with the Team at Ian Riley’s Engineering!!
The boiler moved last March, and we finally sat down at
their HQ on Thursday 19th August. Cotswold Steam HGO team travelled up from
the south/southwest and were joined by a further CSPL Board member
Work has not progressed at the pace CSPL would have liked due
to COVID and not being able to meet with Riley's team face to face. Additionally,
Riley’s are only just getting back to full operations post COVID
The boiler is now in various bits:
Smoke
box removed
Smoke
tube plate is out
Front
barrel section detached from the rest of the boiler
Back
head (below fire hole door) has been removed.
Based on further analysis of the smoke box Riley's will be
providing a revised quote for its replacement/refurbishment.
A new smoke box tube plate will be manufactured and the go
ahead was given for that to take place.
A new front barrel section needs to be manufactured but
further discuss needs to take place between Riley’s, CSPL, and British
Engineering (boiler inspectors). CSPL will give authority for this to happen
very soon, we hope!
With the removal of the backhead we have found a larger that
expected volume of old stays and other rubbish! This is proving difficult to
remove but will be completed soon so the new back head section can be fitted,
and the foundation ring removed
Old and new back head
New smoke box tube place for 4277, ours will be like this one
Old parts
Our boiler internals
With the easing of “Covid” restrictions it is hoped to make
more progress with the HGO of 2807, and this is going to put additional
pressures on the regular members of the work-force.
Could you spare some time to assist us by taking on some of
our administration work?
Admin Assistant
This is a job which can be done from home in the normal
course of events. It requires a person with reasonable computer skills to
provide support to the Company Secretary and the Treasurer. The bulk of the
work involves the preparation and distribution of Notices of Meetings, Minutes,
and Reports both Technical and Financial. On occasion it may involve
communication with Depts within the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway and
with suppliers. The work does not require any specialised knowledge of Railways
or locomotives although an interest in the subject could make the job more
interesting. In the future there will be an opportunity to advance to the role
of Company Secretary when the present incumbent retires.
Do you know of a person with wood-working skills? We need
somebody to help to maintain our Siphon G. It was built at the end of WW2 to
serve as part of an ambulance train evacuating casualties from the
battlefield. After the war it reverted
to civilian duties conveying milk and fresh produce from the West of England to
London.
Joiner/Woodworker
A competent woodworker is required
to repair and maintain the Siphon-G which serves as our support and storage
vehicle. The vehicle is similar in size
to a passenger coach, and is constructed with an oak frame mounted on a steel
chassis, with articulated bogies at each end. The frame is clad in Deal
boarding with louvres running the length of the vehicle. On each side of the vehicle are four pairs of
doors for loading and unloading. In
recent times CSPL have renewed parts of the Oak frame, and replaced the
cladding boards, and re-made some of the main doors. However this is a timber
vehicle and it needs on-going care and maintenance to keep it weathertight.
Periodically there may be
requirements to repair/modify patterns for locomotive components.
The majority of this work will be
carried out on site at Toddington, so applicants will have to hold a GWSR Work
Permit or pass through the GWSR Induction Course.
If you think you can help in
either of the positions indicated above please drop an email to
Brian Gamlin- Chairman brian_gamlin@yahoo.co.uk
Gilbert Kitchen – Secretary gilbert.a.kitchen@gmail.com
We
are pleased to confirm that the HGO of the loco has restarted!
With the lifting of
HMG restrictions in early April the CSPL team have been able to get back to it.
This blog update shows the continued progress in taking the loco apart,
creating new, refurbishing, and replacing!!
News from
Riley’s
Lower back head section of the outer firebox
has been removed; the cut-out section will form the template for the new one.
Wheels Sets
The main wheels sets,
and bogie wheels, were sent away before Christmas to the South Devon for
reprofiling. They have now arrived back.
On arrival work has taken place to clean and repaint them.
All the axel boxes require refurbishment before being put back on the wheels sets.
This requires lots of measuring and discussion......something the CSPL team are very good at.............usually with tea and biscuits.
Before the wheels can be put back under
the frames further work is required, more measuring and alignment checks and
more tea drinking........
The team continue to clean and paint
other items that have been removed from the loco. here the brake hangers are
cleaned, bushes removed, and painted.
New rocker covers have been cast and
are now being machined.
Both vacuum brake cylinders from the loco
and tender have been removed, in the next picture you can see the cylinder shaft
(tender) has been refurbished new bushes and seals will also be made in readiness
for them going back on to the loco at the right time. The loco cylinder has been
completed already and is in store.
Other things going on, the new ash pan
has been completed and is being stored on top of the CSPL container. This has
now been covered over to protect it from the elements
Running boards have been removed and
are now being cleaned and painted.
Last picture is stored items that have
been cleaned, checked, painted in readiness for that day when they go back on
2807.
CSPL have a busy year ahead, Gilbert has
spent lots of time planning and then re planning due to COVID. We hope that now
we can focus on getting 2807 back into service. There is lots to do but the
team could not be more motivated!!
KEEP WATCHING!!
CSPL have issued Riley’s with authority to start work in the deconstruction of 2807 boiler and work started straight away!!
The old smoke box tube plate was removed, this
involved cutting around where the longitudinal stays were secured.
To remove the tube plate the bottom of the old
front barrel section had to be cut.
The next picture shows the team at Riley’s working on the front barrel section in readiness for its removal and
replacement.
The ends of the longitudinal stays and the
remains of the tube plate can be seen inside the front barrel section.
In order to enable the section below the Firehole door to be removed, these are the stays inside the firebox that need careful removal first
